Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment

NOAA is working with international partners to enhance the safety of navigation in the Arctic.

Between 2013 and 2025, the Arctic Polar Code area has witnessed a 40% increase in unique ships, and a 95% increase in distance sailed by vessels in the area. Changing sea ice, increased Arctic shipping, and natural resource projects have led to significant growth in marine activity within a rapidly changing seascape. Despite many advancements in hydrographic surveying and charting in the region, mariners face ongoing data limitations and new risks associated with marine navigation in the Arctic.

To ensure safe passage, NOAA joins other hydrographic offices producing navigational charts in the Arctic region by incorporating the updated cautionary note into the United States Coast Pilot.

For more information, including the joint advisory to mariners from the Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission (ARHC) and the Arctic Council's Working Group on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), visit https://iho.int/en/arhc-and-pame-issue-joint-advisory-warning-of-navigational-risks-in-a-rapidly-changing-arctic

Two more days to send in your abstract for the Atlantic Plastics Symposium 🇮🇸!

https://atlanticplastics.is

You have until the end of the month to send in your abstract for the Atlantic Plastics Symposium! Don’t miss your chance to take part in talks and presentations about one of the most important issues!

You have until the end of the month to send in your abstract for the Atlantic Plastics Symposium! Don’t miss your chance to take part in talks and presentations about one of the most important issues!

In a historic move for fishing vessel safety, the Cape Town Agreement met the requirements to enter into force in February 2027.

Michael Kingston, Special Advisor for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment, worked with the International Maritime Organization - IMO to help get the treaty over the line.

In this Q&A, he shares what the Cape Town Agreement is and what it means for the Arctic: https://arctic-council.org/news/what-the-new-global-treaty-on-fishing-vessels-means-for-the-arctic/

Arctic Shipping 2025 - Report update

PAME has just released the updated Arctic Shipping Status Report #1, providing a comprehensive look at ship traffic trends in the Arctic Polar Code area from 2013 to 2025.

Key Findings:
1: The number of unique ships in the Arctic has increased by 40% over the last 12 years.
2: The total distance sailed by all vessels surged by 95%, reaching nearly 11.9 million nautical miles in 2025.
3: Fishing vessels remain the most common ship type, accounting for 40% of all unique ships in the area.

The increase in shipping coincides with diminishing sea ice, a trend PAME continues to monitor through our Arctic Ship Traffic Data (ASTD) System.

Read the full report here: https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/bitstreams/61870641-ba6a-4e1d-8e71-be201713a27f/download

Explore the data: www.astd.is

We had a great visit in downtown Akureyri this morning (at the CAFF/PAME temporary housing), where Iceland’s Arctic Ambassador and Senior Arctic Official (SAO) Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, along with Deputy SAO Þorlákur Einarsson, joined us to discuss key issues for the Arctic and the Arctic Council. Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs Arctic Council Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment

🌊 Meet Abidat Magomedova, the new Chair of the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group!

With a professional background in international environmental cooperation and Arctic affairs, Abidat brings with her a dedication to making Arctic shipping more sustainable and engaging youth in PAME activities.

💬 Learn more about Abidat Magomedova, her ambitions for the Working Group and key priorities for the years ahead in this Q&A: https://arctic-council.org/news/interview-with-the-new-pame-chair-abidat-magomedova/

This great video shows when one of our Plastic in a Bottle capsules was retrieved from a beach in Northern-Norway:

Plastic in a Bottle: Tracking Plastic Pollution in the Arctic To gain insight about plastic pollution in the Arctic, the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group is launching GPS...